Blending hopper



July 21 1953 K. G. LY'r'roN 2,645,820

l BLENDING HOPPER Filed Aug. 25. 1950 2 sheets-sheet 1 i. INVENTOR.

i n i l l l u l July 21, 1953 K. G. LYTTN 2,645,820

BLENDING HOPPER Filed Aug. 25, v1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y Kenne/h 6'. yl/on JNVENroR.

Patented July 21, 1195.3

UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE l BLENDING HOPPER n Kenneth G. Lytton, Charlotte, N. C. Appucatinmigust 25, 195o, serial No. 181,447 (o1. 19-67) v I Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in blending hoppers.

The primaryobject of this inventionisto proof the tnes through the plurality of baies being regulated by adjustment ofthe plurality of bailles whereby selected rates of flow of fiber material may be attained.

Ancillary objects and features of importance w,

will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the A structure of Figure l-and taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken-on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; y, y

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrows; and y f Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing the means ofadjustingthe apron or conveyor and showing in phantom two positions of adjustment of the baille assembly.

Blending hoppers are used by manufacturers employing baled fibers, such asrayon vor cotton.

The specific use of'this particularv machine is to f break up the ber into a workable condition and deliver it in a specied quantity, which is adjustable to suit the requirements of the`moment. During the process, the material is partially cleaned and deposited on a conveyor or a cleaning machine.

As ber is fed into the feed opening or inle IU which is defined by the case generally indicated at I2, it falls upon a moving apron or endless conveyor, generally indicated at I4. IThis endless conveyor is disposed in a housing I6 which consists of a top I8, a bottom 20, side walls 22 and 24 and ends 26 and 28. The inlet case I2 is formed at the lower end of the end or end f 2 l 'The housing maybe reinforced by angle iron members or other conventional structure and is provided with a vertical partition Sf-'havingan opening 38 therein separating the partition into An access door 48 is provided in one 'onf-'the Walls of the housing' near the bottom thereof, so that the bottom part of the compartment 44 may be cleaned.k

A series of transverse concaves 5I) Vvare formed' in the compartment 44 by meansof a foraminous panel such as screen or Wire mesh. The lower end of the screen or mesh is disposed on `the top of the partition section v42, while the other end is hooked as at 52 over the upperedge of the end 26 of the housing.

A plurality of rotary drums 54, 55, 56,751, and 58 are mounted on shafts transverselyof the compartment 44. Each drum has 'a number of radially disposed tines 60 extending therefrom which work the fiber and which elevate it from the'lower part of the wire mesh or screen 50 until it is discharged through the outlet 30; Any suitable means, for example, gears,l lchains or belts, may be employed to rotate the rotary mem; bers-or drums. In Figure 3, the belting 64 is illustrated, inasmuch as belting is adequate and relatively inexpensive and silent. i There is a plate 66 attached to one side 24 of the housing and a similarplate 68 attached to the other side thereof. The plate is slotted, as is the side wall upon which the block is mounted. A standard screw 'I0 for each plate engages the end shaft 12 of thek endless conveyor I4 in order to retain it tightened or adjusted. A similar assembly 16 is disposed Aon the case I2 for operation with the shaft 'I8 ofthe endless conveyor, and there is an identical assemblyl 'I9 connected with the shaft 'I8 and disposed on the opposite side of the case I2.

Means for regulating the amount of fiber which is takenufromthe conveyor I4 and pushed up. wardly through the series of concaves 50 to the outlet 30 is 'connected between the` apron I4 and the rotary member 58, This regulating means consists of a baffle assembly having plurality of baiiles which are arranged in series to form first and second baille sections. Each baffle of the assembly is made from a first baiiie unit 82 which is connected to a second or upper baille unit 84 by means of a standard hinge 86. The baille unit 82 is arranged parallel with the next ac'hacent baille unit 88 but is spaced therefrom in order to form a passage 90 therebetween.

A rod 92 is secured to the upper baille section and is passed through a pair of slots 94, one being provided in the wall 22 and the other being provided in the wall 24 of the housing I6. Accordingly, the rod 92 is capable of sliding vertically, thereby hingedly moving the two sections of the baille assembly. Conversely, the-rod 92 is slidable vertically in response to pivotal movement of the sections of the bafile assembly.

A shaft 98 is secured to the lower edge of each baille unit of the first baille section and is mounted for rotation in bearings |00, said bearings being carried by a suitable structural framing element of the housing I6 on the side walls 22 and 24 thereof. An arm |02 is fixed to the shaft 98, whereby, upon movement of the arm .102, .the shaft 98 will be rotated, thereby hingedly or pivotally actuating `the baille sections to .the selected position.

A locking device is employed to hold the arm |02 in selected positions. The simple screw-'type locking device disclosed in Figure 5 has been found to be preferable in view of its positive action and minimum of expense. A bracket `|04 is fixed to one side wall of the housing Vandthere is a screw |06 mounted Yfor rotation therein, the outer end of the screw contactingr the arm 102. A bracket |08 is secured to the same side w'all of the housing I6 and has the screw |0 mounted for rotation therein. lThis screw, however, contacts an opposite surface of the arm |02, 'to thereby prevent the arm Vfrom movement in one direction. The screw |06 prevents the arm |02 from moving in the other direction.

In operation, after the fiber is placed on Ythe apron or conveyor I4, it will move in the direction of travel of the conveyor and form a Vbank against the baiiles. When the baiiies are in the position as disclosed in Figure 2, the tines 60 of the rotary member 58 do not project through the passages 90. Accordingly, no ber 'is conveyed by the set or series of rotary elements in the chamber 44.

But, when the bafes are hingedly operated so that a small amount of the length 'of the 'tines B0 of the rotary drum '58 project through the passages 80. some of the ber in the'bank of fiber is pulled from the bank and pressed upwardly and inwardly of the concaves 50, thereby cleaning and working it while conveying it to the outlet 30. When the baffles are moved even farther so that more of the tines 60 ofthe drum 58pm- 4ject through the 'passages 90, a larger quantity veyor vertically spaced below said inlet, and

means for delivering the fiber from the conveyor to said outlet including a plurality of rotary members carried by said housing, one of said members vbeing disposed adjacent to said conveyor and having a plurality of tines, a baille assembly having a plurality of passages and disposed between said one of said rotary members and said conveyor to stop the movement of liber in said housing and thereby form a bank of the fiber, and said tines being operable in said passages to draw some of the fiber from said bank, said baille assembly comprising a rst and a second baille :section having confronting ends hingedly connected together, and means for moving the first section hingedly relative to the secfond section causing said baille assembly to move inwardly toward said one of said rotary members 'to increase the amount of penetration of said tines into said passages and hence into the bank of material.

2.1Th'e combination of claim 1 and said lastmentioned means including a shaft fixed t0 said rst 4baille section, and Nan arm secured to said shaft and located exteriorly of said housing.

3. uThe combination of yclaim 2 and means for holding said arm in selected positions.

4. The combination of claim 3 andsaid second baille section having a rod secured thereto, and means mounting said rod for limited movement in said housing.

5. In'a blending hopper which includes a housing having an inlet and outlet and a conveyor located betweensaid inlet and Ysaid outlet, an agitatingand delivery assembly located in said housing to'deliverlmaterials from said conveyor to said outlet, "said assembly including a rotary member with tines vextending therefrom, means arranged between said rotary member and the discharge end'of said conveyor for regulating the rate of delivery lof Vsaid tines, said regulating means including a plurality of baiiles spaced from each `other to thereby 'refine passages, said bafiies being arranged with respect to said tines so that said tines -are Yoperable in said passages, said baiiles comprising a 'first 'baille section and a second baffle section, saidbaliiesec'tions having confronting ends which are pivotally connected together, me'ansfor 'pivotally moving said -rst and second bafflesectionswithrespect to'each other to thereby move said barile sections toward and away from said tines so that the amount of penetrationof said tines into said passages maybe increased and decreased selectively, and said baffles constituting an 'abutment for material on vsaidconveyor whereby the rate of delivery of said tines may be controlled in response to the amount of relative movement between the tines and `said first and secondbafile sections.

YGreatBritain of'1872 

